Anti-mafia investigators have confiscated around 400 properties with an overall value of over 100 million euros from Calcedonio Di Giovanni, an entrepreneur originally from Monreale, near Palermo, but who has business interests in the neighbouring Sicilian province of Trapani. The DIA anti-mafia unit’s proposal for the assets to be confiscated on the basis of its investigations was accepted by a Trapani court. Di Giovanni, a construction entrepreneur with interests in the tourism and hotel sectors, had already had his assets seized in 2014. While not being formally a member, he is believed to be close to Cosa Nostra, in particular the Agate clan of Mazara del Vallo. Among the assets seized, as well as companies based in San Marino and London, was the noted tourist village of “Kartibubbo” on the coast of Campobello di Mazara, which is believed to have sheltered fugitive mafiosi on several occasions, police said. The businessman recently allegedly accessed large sums from the Italian government and the European Union, via fraudulent mechanisms, involving the Castelvetrano mafia clan in his business activities, police said.
Police found a glaring discrepancy between his declared income and his assets, which derived largely from illegal property deals, fraud, tax dodges, billing non-existent operations and fake bankruptcy. The court in Trapani said Di Govannio owed some 60 million euros in unpaid taxes to authorities.
Di Giovanni was placed under surveillance for three years and ordered to stay in his place of residence.
